How Lily Evans became Lily Potter
by lady-blissxox
Summary: How did a girl who once called James Potter an arrogant toe-rag become Mrs.Potter? It all began on a night, ordinary in all respects, save for the shifting of hate to compassion, and the beginning of something monumental.


In the dormitory's dim glow, an eyelid twitched as its owner wrestled sleep, fighting whatever urge was pulling her away from her somnolent state. Eventually the urge, bodily it seemed, won, and a startlingly green eye peered into the darkness.

It took several groggy minutes to orient herself, as her mind had firmly convinced itself that she was staring at failed exam papers rather than her curtains. With a disgruntled grunt of deepest vexation, Lily Evans picked up her robe, stowed her wand in her robe pocket and stood up gingerly- lest the floor creak as it was wont to do.

She sidled along until she reached the dormitory's door, closing it with a quiet click. A whispered "lumos" set a soft light flickering, casting shadows on dozing portraits. One of which gave her a scandalized look of outrage, muttering something along the lines of whippersnappers, the rest was lost in a garble of curses. Lily shot the portrait, an ageing women of nobility, an apologetic smile that was returned with a glare.

Feeling chastened, Lily extinguished the orb and made her way through a darkened tower. Hands swept swiftly, sliding down cool stone, as her feet led her downwards descending into the warm light of the common room. Without a further glance she strode purposefully to the loo, however her step petered to a halt at the astonishing sight of messy black hair. Jet black hair that was all thin angles, and the naked upper body that seemed anything but. James Potter had the body of an Adonis; his chest muscles strained as he lifted one muscular arms above his head, Lily's eyes trailed downwards to his defined abdominal muscles and the faint line of raven hair leading towards his loose pants. A tingling between her legs startled her into reality.

Lily stood transfixed staring lustfully at the young man, before scolding herself for such ridiculous behaviour.

Minutes passed, Potter sat motionless, and then there was a sound that escaped his being. For a second Lily, thought it to be a cough but it was followed by several soft sounds and the indistinguishable sound of heavy breathing. Lily couldn't believe her ears and listened for another several minutes before coming to the conclusion that James Potter Maruader and Playboy Extraordinaire was crying.

For minutes that elapsed well beyond the span of relative time, she stood there idly as her mind scrambled madly to make sense of the predicament sitting on the sofa. In the end her mind accelerated to its normal speed, and she cast a "don't notice me charm".

She came to the rather befuddling conclusion that had she opted to simply walk to the common room exit, James Potter would've hardly blinked. Her steps already cautious, slowed to a halt, it was as if she was staring at the inferi version of James Potter, odder still was that he sat there unmoving, eyes fixed on an item roughly the size of parchment.

James Potter seemed to have transformed from inhuman prat to an actual human being right before her eyes and she being Lily Evans couldn't help but feel for him. In the span of five minutes, she had gone from loathing the sight of him to feeling lust, and compassion for a boy she had sworn to despise for all of time. While, she was ruminating how in hell she had developed lusty feelings for a certain raven haired boy, she failed to pay attention to her step and consequently fell in a clumsy mess down a mere five steps. Lily instinctively cast a cushioning charm and was greeted by a surprised looking James when she attempted to get up with dignity intact.

James held out his hand, and a crimson faced Lily took it sheepishly.

"Before you say anything Potter, I was just going to the loo and I saw you crying and I wanted you to have your privacy," Lily managed to spurt out, the words jumbling together. Her entire body felt hot and prickly, it felt like a an incindio charm had been cast on her.

"I wasn't crying Evans" James informed with a little of his old manner returning. "Maybe you were stalking because I bet you like what you see."

James smirked and wriggled his eyebrows suggestively at Lily's who's face grew even redder at the allegation.

"I know what I heard! You were crying."

"I was crying because you resist my declarations of love! Do you know the pain of unrequited love Evans?"

"So that's why you were crying?" she asked dubiously.

"Why won't you love me?" James voice rose in a dramatic pitch but Lily could see his blood shot eyes and tear soaked face.

"I don't believe you," Lily stated matter-of-factly.

He sighed and released her hand. Clearly, he only had energy for the brief little repertoire, like a defeated thing nearing death, he walked over to the couch and assumed a slouching position.

She made her way to the loo and finished her business in a hurry. As she was about to head upstairs to her dormitory, she heard another sound coming from the figure on the couch.

Lily quietly walked over to the couch holding the weakened form of James Potter.

"James, what's wrong?"

With what looked like tremendous effort on his part, he lifted his head and gave her a small smirk.

"So I'm James, now?" he looked pleased at this.

"Come on James, tell me. What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Please tell me James," Lily pleaded spurred by her compassion.

"Nothing is wrong Evans," James replied tersely, an edge to his voice.

Without thinking about her next action, Lily reached over and embraced James who looked startled for a moment but melted in her arms. Struck by her compassion and overwhelmed with his emotions, James started crying anew. The sobs wracked his body, Lily made soothing noises until the sobs subsided into a gentle stream of tears.

They stayed in that embrace for nearly an hour. All the while, Lily was acutely aware that her torso was pressed up against his bare chest, that even while the ambiance was a somber one that a fine sexual tension made the air rather thick.

He smiled sadly. "I guess now you'll never like me now that you've seen me cry."

Until then Lily had never seen James smile. His expressions alternated between smirks and leering grins around her.

Lily made soothing circles on his back and waited for his admission.

"Yesterday I found out that my mom died in a random attack on Diagon Alley," he managed before tears began to fall, James shook his eyes unable to fully comprehend the fact that his mother who doted on him since infancy was dead.

"James I'm so sorry."

Lily felt tears of her own prickling her eyes threatening to fall at a moment's provocation.

"Thank you for being you," James smiled earnestly.

There it was.

As tears streamed down Lily's pale face, she felt ashamed that she was crying when it was James who had lost his mother.

"Lily," he whispered softly..

It was her turn to return the smirk.

"So now I'm Lily?"

He nodded.

"Look I don't have anyone else to talk to, do you mind if we meet here for a while?"

It was beyond her to refuse such a request. Here was an ailing soul that needed her, even if that ailing soul had previously been referred to as a arrogant toe rag who she had a several instances declared belonged in Azkaban and was a disgusting human being incapable of any human emotion. In fact, Lily was certain that if she were to add up all the hours she and Severus had discussed the inhumanity, arrogance and horribleness of James Potter aka Maruader Ring Leader and Playboy Extraordinaire, it would amount to a week.

"Fine but only because I'm a decent person," she acquiesced.

"Your the best Lily," he grinned, and Lily was glad that she was the reason behind his shift from grief stricken to joyful.

She laughed nervously.

"Alright, well I'm off to bed, come on you should go get some rest," Lily held out her hand to help James up but James just chuckled.

"An attractive witch with no bra on has just pressed herself against me for half an hour," James actually blushed a shade of crimson. "I may be grief stricken but I'm not dead."

It took a few seconds for his meaning to dawn on her, a meaning which made Lily blush a deep shade of pink as her eyes scanned his body and landed on his crotch area.

"Goodnight James."

"Goodnight Lily."


End file.
